Dry open oak forests; pine plantations; much less often in beech-maple forests or under tamarack.

The stem is ± bulbous or enlarged at the base in this species, unlike our other species. The commonest in Michigan is var. odontorhiza, with a closed perianth; var. pringlei (Greenm.) Freudenst. with an open perianth is scattered and uncommon. This is the latest species of Corallorhiza to bloom on Michigan. Flowering collections have been made from mid-August through September, with fruiting occurring through October.

Corallorhiza odontorhiza clearly is increasing in Michigan as well as spreading northward. However, a Montmorency County record from 1947 is not mapped because it was purported to have been collected in June; presumably there was a label mix-up.